Family Values: Tolerance

How to Raise a Tolerant Child A tolerant person accepts diversity and doesn't prejudge others on the basis of religion, race, or gender. If we are to live in harmony with others and seek cooperative solutions to conflicts, we need to focus more on our common humanity than on our differences. Tolerance also involves being flexible and accepting that others have the right to be who they are. How a person treats those who appear different depends to a large extent on what he or she is taught in childhood. Here’s how parents can teach tolerance to children. from: The Family Values Toolkit on beliefnet.com

[Equality for ALL]

But THEIR Tolerance has to go beyond "hate the sin, love the sinner". Because their concept of my "sin" is actually my entire life & family. This includes the right to be in the same level playing field as THEY are. That means that they cannot OPPRESS us (in the name of the bible, which is fiction, BTW) by denying us EQUALITY in all areas - including Marriage, Federal & State Benefits, etc. in the name of their religion! The religious cults all have full Federal guarantees and privledges. The LGBT community does NOT. So just to say they're preaching Tolerance is nothing more than lipstick on a pig.

[fedupwiththemess]

Teach children right from wrong. Its wrong to engage in homosexual/lesbo sex. PERIOD. Let them know however to respect those that don't feel it is wrong, because they are people too. Teach them to let GOD handle it.

[Equality for ALL]

GOD? whose GOD? Yours? What about Muslims? What about Agnostics? what about Aethiests?

You see FEDUP..., your statement that "it is wrong, period" is precisely what I was referring to. It is NATURAL for not just the Animaal Kingdom, but Human beings.(You probably are too iliterate to know that there's over 1,300 documented cases of animial homosexuality.) You're straight - good for you. I am Gay and always have been ...ALWAYS - good for ME. Your belief in and use of the bible to oppress others is what is WRONG. People like you will NEVER get that ..

[Leftatalbuquerqu e]

fedupwiththemess wrote:

Teach children right from wrong. Its wrong to engage in homosexual/lesbo sex. PERIOD. Let them know however to respect those that don't feel it is wrong, because they are people too. Teach them to let GOD handle it.

You can't hide reality from children, no matter how hard you try to shelter them from it. They'll find it, and you'll then be accused of being wrong, or of being stupid, or of not knowing enough about the world to have had a child. At the least, they'll lose respect for you until they are mature enough to forgive you for being so willfully out of touch.

Why not teach your child about the truth? And to be proud of who they are? Why burden them with the idea that who they are is wrong, in spite of all their efforts? Then, later on, them fulfilling the commandment about honouring you, their father or mother, will be so much easier for them to do!

Or would you rather your gay son marry a str8 woman, or lesbian daughter tie herself to an uncomprehending man, and live a sad lie all their lives? Why would you contemplate such a fate for your child?

The child will be what the child will be. You can only love them, and become an informed parent, able to assist them and earn their love as they become adults.

[Leftatalbuquerqu e]

"Careful the things you say, children will listen.
Careful the things you do - children will see, and learn...
Careful before you say, "Listen to me!" - children will listen!"

from INTO THE WOODS, Stephen Sondheim

[EdmondWA]

PLEASE take your fingers out of your EARS for five minutes, and PLEASE answer this question: WHY is engaging in homosexual acts WRONG? I've asked this over and over and I'm only ignored, I can only assume that you don't have a real answer, it's just your rote indoctrination rearing its ugly head. WHO does it harm? HOW does it harm society? PLEASE EXPLAIN, because from my point of view, you've got nothing. Only empty reasons for trying to make other people feel bad about themselves, for trying to point out how they're bad for being different from you, for trying to control the lives of other people.

It would be wonderful, Fedup and others, if you really did practice what you preach and "let god handle it", but the position of the religulous right has always been to attempt to legislate its beliefs onto others. This is NOT "letting god handle it". This is NOT a live and let live policy. And it is most DEFINITELY NOT RESPECTFUL of others' dignity or freedom. You are doing exactly what this little article said NOT to do: you are spreading discrimination and exclusionism and teaching it to your children.

But be warned, when your children grow up and join the rest of us in the 21st century, they will leave you behind.

[Reason]

fedupwiththemess wrote:

Teach children right from wrong. Its wrong to engage in homosexual/lesbo sex. PERIOD. Let them know however to respect those that don't feel it is wrong, because they are people too. Teach them to let GOD handle it.

I'm glad you realize it's not a universal belief that it is wrong to engage in homosexual acts. I believe you have the right to teach YOUR children that you consider homosexual acts to be wrong, but along with that I believe you have a DUTY to also teach them that we live in a country that is not run by your, or their, or anybodies, religious beliefs. It sounds like you agree. Good.

[Short Left Index Finger]

Reason wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm glad you realize it's not a universal belief that it is wrong to engage in homosexual acts. I believe you have the right to teach YOUR children that you consider homosexual acts to be wrong, but along with that I believe you have a DUTY to also teach them that we live in a country that is not run by your, or their, or anybodies, religious beliefs. It sounds like you agree. Good.

Would you straight people keep your porno mags and bibles to yourselves and get out of the gay and lesbian forums.

[DNF]

It's been 3 hours since I posted this story. 8 responses so far. I have read the responses and can't help wondering how many of you have read through the article. I ask this because so far, what I have seen are typical reactions to headlines and back and forth battles over individual opinions; yet no one mentioning what the article says or commenting on it's substance. Did any of you even notice what is written in the first sentence? Because it doesn't seem that way to me.

[Get a Life 2]

EdmondWA wrote:

.....

But be warned, when your children grow up and join the rest of us in the 21st century, they will leave you behind.

That is precisely why churches put so much emphasis on their youth programs. It not because they want little Johnny and Jerry to have friends, go camping or play in church sponsored sports leagues. Their main goal is to have more time and access to the children for religion indoctrination. They are trying to prevent the children from escaping the church's control when they grow up.

[EdmondWA]

Well, DNF, I did read the entire article (such as it was, flipping through slides, each with their own popups, rather than one cohesive essay), and I'll tell you what I took away from the first sentence.

"A tolerant person accepts diversity and doesn't prejudge others on the basis of religion, race, or gender."

What this article lacks is mention of sexual orientation as another facet of diversity to be accepted. I also noticed that it was posted on Beliefnet. More religious exclusionism!

I guess you are trying to say that WE (the gays and pro-gay people who frequent these posts) should be more tolerant and accepting to the religious among us? I GUARANTEE you, I am not out spending my free time trying to make laws that force religious people out of social institutions that we all share, or trying to repeal legislation that expands basic human rights to people outside of my "in group".

It's fantastic that the Beliefnet site supports teaching against discrimination, racism, sexism, ableism, etc, but for them to produce an article that in 10 slides NEVER ONCE mentions homophobia, then I'm afraid that as far as I'm concerned, they do not get a passing grade from me in teaching social diversity. A policy of "We're all the same!... except for that disgusting little group over there" is no policy at all.

[Short Left Index Finger]

Kids:Tell your parents not to grow old just keep on growing.

[ActsOfBeauty]

fedupwiththemess wrote:

Teach children right from wrong. Its wrong to engage in homosexual/lesbo sex. PERIOD. Let them know however to respect those that don't feel it is wrong, because they are people too.

And if that child were in fact gay? Well, damn...

Teach them to let GOD handle it.

Then nothing would ever be accomplished.

[ActsOfBeauty]

DNF wrote:

It's been 3 hours since I posted this story. 8 responses so far. I have read the responses and can't help wondering how many of you have read through the article. I ask this because so far, what I have seen are typical reactions to headlines and back and forth battles over individual opinions; yet no one mentioning what the article says or commenting on it's substance. Did any of you even notice what is written in the first sentence? Because it doesn't seem that way to me.

Too many damn ads on the screen.

[Mike L]

DNF wrote:

It's been 3 hours since I posted this story. 8 responses so far. I have read the responses and can't help wondering how many of you have read through the article. I ask this because so far, what I have seen are typical reactions to headlines and back and forth battles over individual opinions; yet no one mentioning what the article says or commenting on it's substance. Did any of you even notice what is written in the first sentence? Because it doesn't seem that way to me.

The unfortunate thing is that most non-gay parents aren't qualified to be parents. Telling people to be tolerant when they can't even control their own impulses toward hate doesn't carry alot of weight. After all, religion has been teaching tolerance for centries and yet today we still have to tell "christian" people to be tolerant, don't be mean, don't say hateful things in front of your children, and on and on and on. The fact is it will never change because ingnorant people are happy being ingorant. It's much easier to hate what you don't understand than to educate yourself.

[EdD]

I appreciate the article and find it helpful. Having been reared myself in a religious family I was looking to find a spiritual home for my children that would teach these very values without preaching them. It was not an easy task to find the right place. I did find it in a visit to a Unitarian-Universalist congregation, although I had had no previous experience with that denomination. I found they had a strong and compelling point of view while being "creedless" in the sense of not requiring adherence to a doctrine of any kind. My kids are now grown and I have to confess I no longer am involved in any congregation, but I think raising them in a spiritual community that valued tolerance and free thinking was the right thing to do, and they each turned out responsible, moral, and tolerant adults. Thanks for the article.

[McMike]

Equality for ALL wrote:

GOD? whose GOD? Yours? What about Muslims? What about Agnostics? what about Aethiests?
You see FEDUP..., your statement that "it is wrong, period" is precisely what I was referring to. It is NATURAL for not just the Animaal Kingdom, but Human beings.(You probably are too iliterate to know that there's over 1,300 documented cases of animial homosexuality.) You're straight - good for you. I am Gay and always have been ...ALWAYS - good for ME. Your belief in and use of the bible to oppress others is what is WRONG. People like you will NEVER get that ..

It's actually been documented in over 1,500 species of animal.

[McMike]

Get a Life 2 wrote:

<quoted text>
That is precisely why churches put so much emphasis on their youth programs. It not because they want little Johnny and Jerry to have friends, go camping or play in church sponsored sports leagues. Their main goal is to have more time and access to the children for religion indoctrination. They are trying to prevent the children from escaping the church's control when they grow up.

And here I thought it was because many of the Church's "youth programs" involve(d) sexual molestation.

[McMike]

DNF wrote:

It's been 3 hours since I posted this story. 8 responses so far. I have read the responses and can't help wondering how many of you have read through the article. I ask this because so far, what I have seen are typical reactions to headlines and back and forth battles over individual opinions; yet no one mentioning what the article says or commenting on it's substance. Did any of you even notice what is written in the first sentence? Because it doesn't seem that way to me.

I have to agree with another poster. What they don't say comes out a lot louder and clearer than what they do say:

"A tolerant person accepts diversity and doesn't prejudge others on the basis of religion, race, or gender (but a good 'Christian' is still as homophobic as ever)."

[JohnInToronto]

How about a toolkit for teaching children to use logic, question authority and live their own lives? Perhaps it could be called the Atheist/Agnostic Values Toolkit.